A popular subject for westerns throughout the years, this is an account of Wyatt Earp and the legendary Gunfight at O.K. Corral, though the showdown here is pretty far afield from what most of the other movies depicted. Scott plays the newly appointed marshal, taking the job after proving that he could handle it and then some, and after being told that there was no more room in Tombstone for his original plan of a instituting a stage coach line. His primary antagonist in this rendition of the story is underhanded saloon owner Carradine. He also has to contend with headstrong dancehall girl Barnes. Aiding him is his TB-stricken pal Romero, who is equally handy with a gun and who lashes out at everyone whenever he's feeling poorly (which is often!) Kelly, a long lost love of Romero's, comes into town to persuade him to give up his gunslinging ways and return to her. Scott and Romero work hard to rid the town of corruption, though they hardly get off scott-free. Scott is stalwart in his role and easily convinces the viewer that he means business. Romero is brooding, yet strangely charming, and makes a nice counterpart to Scott. Barnes has an out of place accent, but manages to convey the pushy, common aspects of her character. Kelly is lovely, demonstrating an understated, appealing quality that was almost completely absent from her later, Oscar-nominated role in "The Bad Seed." Foy, jr. (playing his own father who was allegedly and entertainer in town the day of the gunfight) performs a mostly unintelligible song and overstays his welcome. Carradine is appropriately slimy, but isn't given a chance to really make a strong impression as the villain. Bond appears briefly as an intimidated sheriff. It's a short movie, which makes it pretty easy to get through, though some viewers may be bored by the musical numbers. Nothing about it makes it stand out as a classic, but it's also not a throwaway. Romero's work is interesting and there are certain amounts of tension generated. Just four years prior to this film, another version was released with character names even further removed from actuality (the marshal's last name was Wyatt!) and several years after, the story was told again as "My Darling Clementine", a film that uses several of this picture's plot points. Of course, it would be told again and again in films such as "Gunfight at the O.K. Corral", "Wyatt Earp" and "Tombstone".
Review of Frontier Marshal
